Through the Years: Caustic Celadon
by Money Stax
Summary: Side-story. The arrival of a trainer from Unova looking for help to solve a crime leads to the unraveling of conspiracies within Celadon City, particularly involving the trainers of Celadon Trainer's School. Interwoven is a trainer who thrives off of chaos, a heated rivalry with Fuchsia City, and the increase in battles taking place in the Underground Tunnel.
1. City of Rainbow Colors

**City of Rainbow Colors**

 _Celadon City – City of Rainbow Colors_

Jeremy Crandall sighed in relief as he read the sign. The fifteen-year-old trainer was hungry, tired, and nearly out of money, but he had finally made it to Celadon City. From what he could see, the city seemed to have much more spirit than his home, the fast-paced Castelia City in Unova. However, he knew that it was not the time for sight-seeing. Pulling out the wad of paper in his pocket, Jeremy smoothed it out and carefully read the address that was scribbled onto it.

" _592 Olivestone Drive…"_ Jeremy read to himself.

He cursed himself for not having a phone as he searched for a map or a computer. Fortunately, he was able to find both inside a nearby Pokémon Center. According to the map, he was still at least twenty-five minutes away from his intended destination. Quickly printing out the directions, Jeremy made his way back outside and tossed a poké ball in the air.

Sawsbuck materialized before taking a deep, introspective look at his surroundings as he always did whenever they were in a new place. It was autumn and the red and brown leaves on Sawsbuck's antlers stood out amongst the mostly pale green hue of the city. Jeremy noticed many curious stares from the citizens and it was obvious that it was not often that they saw a Pokémon from Unova.

"Sorry I had to keep you in the ball so long," Jeremy said. "You're a bit too big for them to allow you on the plane or the bus."

Sawsbuck simply gave him a nod of understanding as his trainer climbed aboard. Jeremy wondered if Sawsbuck had adopted his serious attitude from him, if it was something that was standard for his species, or a mixture of both. He decided not to think about it for too long since he had wasted enough time as it was.

"Alright, we need to head south first…"

As the trainer and Pokémon duo made their way towards their destination, Jeremy found himself thinking about everything that had happened in the past few weeks and how rapidly his entire life had been altered. It did not take long to come to the realization that things had started spiraling out of control long before, but Jeremy was furious at himself about the fact that it took something drastic happening to finally understand that. It was too little and much too late in his mind. He knew that whatever happened from here on out was completely up to chance.

After twenty minutes of riding, Jeremy double-checked the directions to see if they were heading down the correct path. Judging by their surroundings, they were definitely in an upper class neighborhood. If Jeremy did not feel out of place before, he certainly did now. Still, he continued on until he arrived at a large light beige house surrounded by trees. It was a bit secluded from the other homes in the neighborhood, as well as a fair bit larger.

"I guess this is the place…" Jeremy told Sawsbuck. "Well we're here now. No point in being nervous."

They entered the large yard and followed the concrete pathway until he reached the black door. Taking a deep breath, he rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer. After a few seconds, the door slowly began to open and Jeremy found himself face to face with a man who he presumed to be the owner of the home. The man was tall with a solid, muscular build that was noticeable even with the business suit that he was wearing. He had short, dark brown hair that Jeremy noticed was sprinkled with one or two streaks of gray. However, what really caught him were the man's eyes. They were the same steel blue that Jeremy had seen in his own reflection his entire life.

"May I help you?" the man asked.

"My name is Jeremy Crandall…" Jeremy introduced himself as calmly as he could. He managed to keep his composure, but his outwardly display did not match the spiraling emotions that he was feeling on the inside. "Are you...Flynn Bradsher?"

"That would be me," the man answered. "Have we met before?"

"We've never met," Jeremy told him as he opened the zipper on his small backpack. He retrieved an old photo and held it up. "Does the woman in this picture look familiar to you?"

The woman in the photo had dark hair and eyes with ivory skin. There was nothing that particularly stood out about her, save for her smile. Flynn stared at the photo for a few moments as he stroked his chin. Jeremy could tell that his memory was slowly being jogged.

"Stella…" Flynn said quietly before looking at Jeremy. "Stella…Crandall…Please, come in…"

After recalling Sawsbuck to his poké ball, Jeremy followed Flynn into the house and was nearly floored by what he saw. The inside was even more impressive than the outside. Judging by the sheer size of the living room, Jeremy was sure that it could fit his entire apartment back home in Unova. The floors were dark marble, the obviously expensive furniture was untarnished and neatly arranged, and the ivory walls were adorned with many priceless works of Pokémon art.

"I feel like this is a much more appropriate place to talk," Flynn said. "Please, take a seat."

Jeremy found a seat on the nice couch in front of the glass table. He found himself longing for the comfort of the old worn out couch that he had become accustomed to sleeping on at home. Flynn settled in the chair still gazing at the photo of the woman.

"So, uh," Jeremy spoke up. "I guess you've figured out by now that I'm Stella Crandall's son."

Flynn nodded his head and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, the door to the house opened and someone entered the house. Jeremy looked towards the door and saw that it was a young man. He appeared to be about Jeremy's age and the first thing he noticed about him was how much he resembled Flynn. He was tall with an athletic build that made him look slightly slimmer than the older man, yet no less handsome. His hair was copper colored and his eyes were a jade green, but aside from these notable differences, he looked identical to Flynn. Following in behind him was a Ninetales that had to be the size of Sawsbuck, if not bigger.

"Sorry it took so long to get here, Dad," the young man said. "Some girl from Saffron and her bizarre friend were protesting outside the department store. It was something about testing human products on Pokémon. She was a pretty good talker though and made some really good points. It helped that she was pretty cute too."

"Just remember that her message is more important than what she looks like, Austin," Flynn reminded him. "Anyway, come here. I want you to meet this young man."

The newcomer, Austin, walked into the living room and looked at Jeremy with a puzzled expression on his face. Jeremy could tell that he had not even noticed him until Flynn had said something.

"Jeremy," Flynn continued. "This is my son, Austin. Austin, this is Jeremy Crandall. His mother is…an old friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you," Austin said before holding out his hand.

The two teenagers shook hands before Austin took a seat on the second couch, Ninetales curling up beside him. Jeremy did not know if he was comfortable continuing the conversation with another person in the room, but it was a small inconvenience compared to what he had gone through in order to make it this far.

"So, how has your mother been?" Flynn asked Jeremy. "I only knew Stella for a short time, but from what I can remember, she was quite a spirited woman."

Jeremy took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He knew that he had to will himself to answer the question, but it was one of the most difficult things that he could have imagined doing. Nevertheless, he owed it to his mother to complete his mission.

"She's…dead…" he said quietly. He looked up at the stunned face of Flynn before carrying on, trying his hardest to keep himself from trembling. "She was murdered a few weeks ago. The police thought that it was just a burglary gone wrong and I did too…until I started looking through her things."

He paused momentarily in order to allow Flynn to take in all of the information. Even Austin seemed to be paying close attention to Jeremy's story of the events that led him to Celadon. He opened the bag beneath his feet and retrieved a tattered brown book.

"The most important thing I found was this. I started reading through my mother's old journals and I think there was a reason she was killed. There were things about her in that journal that I never even knew about. It was like I was reading about a whole different person. I know it might sound kind of crazy, but whoever killed her made sure to kill all of her Pokémon too. It's like she knew something that she wasn't supposed to know and whatever information that she had absolutely couldn't be passed on. I couldn't figure out much before I had to leave Unova, so I was hoping you can help me find out what actually happened that night."

"My condolences on the passing of your mother," Flynn said. "I too lost my mother at a young age, so I know the pain of losing a parent. I'm willing to help you however I can, but to be honest, I am curious as to why you decided to come here."

Jeremy stood up and handed Flynn the journal before taking a seat once more. There was absolutely nothing that he could think to alleviate the discomfort that his next few words were bound to have. Still, he felt that if he managed to get through the first part then this should not be much of an issue in comparison.

"My mother met you about seventeen years ago," Jeremy began explaining as Flynn flipped through the journal. "The journal said that you were only in Unova for a few weeks, but there are dozens of pages about you. After reading the dates and doing some math…"

"No…way…" Austin muttered, eyes widened at the implication. It was the first thing he had said since sitting down.

"I…" Jeremy paused and took a deep breath. "I think you might be my father…"

"No way!" Austin repeated, this time shouting as he jumped up from his seat. "Dad, there's no way you can believe this guy. Some random kid all the way from Unova just pops up at the front door with a story that sounds like something from a mystery novel and then claims to be your child. Come on, I bet he's just trying to scam you out of some money."

"Austin, you need to calm down," Flynn told him sternly. "Now."

"I'm just looking out for you," Austin defended himself, being sure to lower his tone. "You taught me not to take anything at face value."

"Listen, son," Flynn started. "During one of my many separations from your mother, I spent some time in Unova doing some legal work for my father. That is where I met Stella. We…um…spent a lot of time together. I had been under a lot of stress and she helped me through it. I didn't know that your mother was already pregnant until after I went to Unova, but the second I found out, I was on a plane back to Kanto."

"I still say that we at least need a blood test before you start getting involved in some murder case," Austin remarked. "If this guy is your son, he might be trying to steal my inheritance." His father gave him a sharp look and Austin responded by letting out a sigh and averting his gaze. "Oh, come on, Dad, you know I was just joking about that last part."

Jeremy thought that it was past time he said something. The last thing he needed was more tension on top of everything that was going on.

"Look," he said. "I'm not here for any money and I'm definitely not here to steal anyone's inheritance. I just came here for help. There was no one I could turn to in Unova, so this was a longshot."

"How about we discuss everything over dinner?" Flynn suggested after checking his watch. "You look like you haven't had a good meal in a while, Jeremy. Austin, I think I'll order from _Cloyster Cuisine._ I know that's your favorite restaurant."

"If you're trying to butter me up, you're going to have to do more than that, old man," Austin said with a slight grin.

Jeremy wanted to decline the offer for dinner, if only because he did not want to impose. However, it was nearly impossible for him to deny how hungry he was. He figured he would find a way to repay the man later. Flynn retrieved his cell phone and made his way into the kitchen, leaving the two teenagers alone. Jeremy could definitely feel the tension, but he knew that it was unrealistic to expect everything to go smoothly.

"Okay, ' _little bro'_ …" Austin said to Jeremy in a mocking tone as he retrieved a poké ball from his waist. "If you're going to be a member of this family, you better know how to battle. Everyone in my dad's family was an accomplished trainer at one point in time. Let's go outside to the back and see what you're made of…"

Jeremy did not know what compelled him to listen to Austin, but he found himself following the other boy outside. It had been a while since he was actually in a battle and he had a lot of steam to let off. If nothing else, it would definitely be a welcomed distraction from everything that had been going on and getting a victory over Austin would be an added treat.

* * *

 **A/N: And there we have it, the first chapter is done. Since this is a stand alone story, I kind of wanted to give it a darker feel than the other story, but nothing too sinister, at least not yet.**

 **P.O.V. character for this chapter: Jeremy Crandall**

 **Any information regarding OC's or just the story in general can be found in the 'Caustic Celadon' thread on my forum. Feel free to check it out.**

 **Adios!**


	2. Change

**Change**

Change. If there was one thing Austin Bradsher hated, it was change. Every time something in his life was altered, things almost immediately went straight to hell. His life was much better when everything was going according to routine. Some guy showing up at Austin's front door claiming to be his father's son, and by extension his half-brother, was definitely not according to routine.

However, there was something else that bothered Austin even more. He reluctantly admitted to himself that there was a strong possibility that Jeremy's story could actually be true. After all, it would take a pretty sick person to lie about their mother being murdered. His father getting involved in a murder case could definitely put him at risk and if there was one thing Austin was going to do, it was protect his father. Still, he found himself wondering what he would do if he were in the other boy's shoes.

"So, what do you think?" he asked Jeremy, hoping to shift the focus to the battle.

The backyard was an enormous two and a half acre area filled with lush green grass, tall trees, beautiful flowers, and smooth stones. There was enough room for a large deck, a deep swimming pool, and even a small concrete section that was used for battling. Austin saw the amazed look on Jeremy's face and he noted that his alleged half-brother did not seem as aloof as he appeared.

"You train your Pokémon out here?" Jeremy asked.

"I did when I first became a trainer," Austin explained, leading them onto the battle section. "But now we go to other places to get a better workout. This is where we come to get away from everything. I'm talking complete solitude. No psychotic cousins, no irritating teachers, no arguing par…"

Austin stopped himself before he said anything else. For as many issues as he had with his parents, particularly his mother, at the end of the day they were both still alive.

"Alright, man," he said, changing gears as quickly as he could. "We'll battle here. The old man had this area made for me when I told him that I was going to become a trainer. As you can probably guess by now, my dad isn't exactly perfect, but still…"

"I'm not here to judge anyone," Jeremy said clearly.

Austin nodded before reaching for a poké ball. A good battle was something that always calmed him down and hopefully he could learn some more about the mysterious boy.

"This one will do," Austin said, hurling the ball into the air. "Golduck, let's do it!"

Golduck emerged and the moment he saw that Jeremy was an unfamiliar face, he quickly walked over to him and held his hand high. Jeremy gave Austin a puzzled look and only got a grin in response. It didn't take long for Jeremy to realize that Golduck wanted a high-five, so he complied and the duck Pokémon cheerfully rejoined his trainer's side.

"I guess I can cross give a Golduck a high-five off of my list of things to do while in Kanto," Jeremy remarked as he tossed a poké ball.

What emerged was one of the most bizarre and intriguing Pokémon that Austin had ever seen. He knew from school that the enigma hovering above in the air was the psychic and flying type Sigilyph, but he had never seen one in person.

"Well it's definitely a cool looking Pokémon," Austin said aloud. "First move is on you. Show me what you got."

"Sigilyph, use air slash," Jeremy commanded.

Sigilyph wings began glowing as she flapped them. Two disks of wind energy quickly formed and Austin signaled Golduck to block the impending attack.

"Aqua jet!"

Golduck's body became surrounded by water, lessening the impact when the air slash hit. He shot into the air and slammed into Sigilyph with enough speed and force to send her spinning around in a circle. Austin caught the stunned look on Jeremy's face and was reminded why he enjoyed battling new people. They never knew what to expect.

"Psychic," Jeremy countered the moment Sigilyph readjusted herself.

Before Austin could command Golduck to neutralize Sigilyph, the psychic Pokémon had already begun the attack. Both Pokémon were outlined by a blue aura and in an instant Golduck went flying into a nearby tree. Jeremy gave Sigilyph a nod and she suddenly rushed at Golduck and repeated the attack, this time sending the water Pokémon onto the ground. It looked as if Sigilyph were going to go through with it for a third time, but a quick headshake from her trainer stopped her.

"Golduck, are you alright?" Austin checked.

Golduck nodded and slowly rose to his feet. Austin wondered why Jeremy stopped Sigilyph from going for another psychic, but he did not dwell on it too long. He knew that it was time to capitalize off of the opening. Unfortunately, Jeremy gave an order first.

"Reflect."

Austin let out a small sigh of frustration as the shield formed in front of Sigilyph. He had to give it to Jeremy, the other boy was definitely cerebral in battle if nothing else. Still, Austin was confident enough to follow through with his plan.

"Alright, time to finish this, Golduck," Austin said. "You remember the Aqua-Pump-Beam combo? Go for it, max power."

Golduck jetted at Sigilyph once again, but because of the reflect that had been set up, the aqua jet did not cause as much damage as it had earlier. However, it did distract her enough for Golduck to go through with the second part of the combo. As he was falling back to the ground, Golduck sent a powerful blast of water out of his bill. Sigilyph managed to come to in time to avoid taking the full attack, but it did hit one of her wings, sending her spiraling in the air uncontrollably.

"Sigilyph!" Jeremy called out.

"Golduck, finish this battle!" Austin commanded. "Ice beam."

Golduck landed on the ground with a flip and quickly emitted the ice beam from his mouth. The attack hit Sigilyph right in the center and Jeremy recalled her to the poké ball before she hit the ground.

"Nice work out there, Sigilyph," Jeremy said as Austin recalled Golduck. "Take a good rest."

Austin was proud of his victory, but he did not feel like gloating. Although he was certain that he would have won the battle regardless, Austin was curious as to why Jeremy stopped Sigilyph when she had the upper hand on Golduck. He thought about asking him, but it had been a long day and Austin figured that he could always have a rematch with the other boy at a later time.

"You're definitely skilled," he remarked. "Come on, let's go back inside. I'm starving…"

* * *

Jeremy did not know what to make of Austin at first. He was hesitant to slap the 'spoiled rich kid' label on him due to the circumstances. If Jeremy had known that Flynn had a son, he definitely would have approached this entire thing a different way. A stranger randomly appearing in your home claiming to be your parent's child was not something that happened to most teenagers after all. Despite everything that he had been through, Jeremy could not help but to put himself in Austin's position.

" _Jeremy…"_

Flynn entered the kitchen with two large platters of food. He placed them on the table before continuing.

"First and foremost, do you have anywhere to stay?" he asked.

Jeremy had spent all of his money just getting to Kanto, so the only option was the Pokémon Center since that was the only place that provided free food and lodging to trainers.

"I planned on staying at the Pokémon Center downtown," he answered.

"I see," Flynn replied. "How about this instead? You can stay here for as long as you're in the city. After all, there are seven bedrooms in this house and only two of us live here. There's more than enough room. I think it would be easier for us to work together as well."

Jeremy knew that last sentence was just so that he would not feel like he was imposing, but the man did have a point. Completing his mission took precedence over everything else and if staying here was the rational move, he would make it.

"Okay…" Jeremy told him. "But only until I find out about everything…"

"Understood," Flynn said turning his attention to the other teenager. "Austin will show you to your room…if he ever gets off the phone."

After a few more minutes, Austin finally finished his phone call and walked into the kitchen from the living room, Ninetales following close behind.

"Hey, Dad," he started. "You'll never guess what Anya just told me. She said that she was at the mall with Stan when a Spinarak came out of nowhere. It was nowhere near them, but she said the second Stan saw it, he ran off screaming and fell right into the fountain. I can't believe I missed it."

"Well, son," Flynn said. "If you're not too busy enjoying the misfortunes of your friends, why don't you do me a favor and show Jeremy to the guest room?"

"Which one?" Austin asked.

"Hmm…didn't really think about that," Flynn stated. "How about the one at the end of the west wing? We've never really done anything too over-the-top with that room so Jeremy can make it to his liking while he's here. I'll have the table set when you finish."

"Alright," Austin said to Jeremy. "This way…"

Austin led Jeremy up the stairs and down what appeared to be a never ending hallway with priceless artifacts and decorations. Jeremy always believed that the extravagant lifestyles of the wealthy that were shown in movies were a bit exaggerated. However, the Bradshers definitely poked holes in that theory.

The room that they entered at the end of the long hallway was a sharp contrast to everything Jeremy had seen so far. It was average sized with a bed, computer desk, dresser, closet, and windows. If the room were smaller, it wouldn't look out of place in his old apartment. Jeremy actually appreciated it more for that part.

"Not bad…" he remarked.

"My dad said to make it to your liking, so go nuts," Austin replied. He walked towards the bed and stretched out on it. "What this room lacks in flash, it makes up for it with this bed. Damn, I should've had this moved into my room."

"So…" Jeremy started, hoping to strike up a conversation. Any and all conflict needed to be avoided if he was going to be living in the same house as Austin. Peace between the two of them would make things much easier for everyone. "That battle was pretty crazy. I guess trainers in Kanto are really top-notch, huh?"

"Celadon's the best," Austin said. "But there are tough trainers all over this region even in Fuchsia as much as I hate to admit it. Those kids in Saffron are starting to get pretty tough too. Definitely have to keep an eye on them…"

"Looks like I'll have to work hard to keep up," Jeremy said.

"Not too hard," Austin told him. "You definitely have some skills. It would be stupid of me to pretend like you don't."

"Is that your way of complimenting me?" Jeremy inquired.

"Listen," the other boy continued as he sat up on the bed. "I know I was an ass earlier. My dad's a generous guy and there's always people trying to take advantage of that generosity. My friends tell me that I can be too suspicious sometimes. I still don't know if I can one-hundred percent believe everything you said just yet, but my dad did know your mom so that part of your story checks out. I'm going to go unwind a bit before dinner."

* * *

One of the few things that helped Austin clear his head was a hot shower. Although something of this magnitude could not be fixed by steam and hot water, Austin was much more relaxed once he took a shower and changed into some fresh clothes.

Austin's bathroom alone was nearly the size of the room that Jeremy was staying in and was located on the bottom level of his enormous two-floor bedroom. Curling up next to Ninetales on the wooden steps, Austin pulled out his phone and scrolled through his list of contacts until he found the name that he was looking for. He pressed the number and waited for an answer.

" _Hello_?"

"Hey, Cami."

" _What is it, Austin?"_

"Is that offer to hang out tonight still on?"

" _I asked you if you wanted to come over earlier so that we could train our Pokémon for the battling games, but you told me that you had other things to do. Well, now I have other things to do…"_

"I know, I know, but listen. A _lot_ has changed since then. There's just too much going on right now."

" _Wait…what happened? Are you okay?"_

"I'll explain more when I can. Just…don't tell Anya or Stan anything if they call you. I don't want them worrying about me."

" _Alright, I'm on my way home. If it's this serious, I'm not going to turn you away. I'll see you when you get here."_

"Thanks, Cami."

Austin hung up the phone, but before he could even collect his thoughts, it rang and he quickly answered it without hesitation.

"Hello?"

" _Hey, Neanderthal…"_

Austin momentarily put down the phone and let out a loud sigh of annoyance. His cousin, Kali, was on the other line. Out of everything that had happened over the last few hours, the last thing he needed to even hear was her voice. It was as if she had some sort of psychic power that let her see when he was having a difficult time because that was when she would bother him the most. Even Ninetales acknowledged his trainer's exasperation and moved to give him some space.

"What do you want, Kali?"

" _I need a ride to the underground path outside the city tomorrow. A lot of battles are taking place and I want to make sure that I don't miss any action. I just know it's going to be a bloodbath."_

"You know it's illegal to battle there and even if it wasn't the answer would still be no."

" _Give me a ride and I'll leave you and your brainless friends alone for a week. How does that sound, cousin?"_

"Like you'll keep your word."

" _Why wouldn't I?"_

"Because you're an evil, lying, obnoxious, lunatic."

" _You think I'm obnoxious?"_

"Kali, I have too much to deal with today. I don't have time for your games."

" _Ooh, someone's testy today. Fine, I'll let you sleep over it. Hopefully, you'll be in a better mood tomorrow."_

Austin rolled his eyes and hung up the phone. He knew that Kali would probably have something terrible in store for him at school or somewhere else if he did not take her to the underground path tomorrow. She definitely would not honor her proposal not to harass him for a week, but it would at least get her away from him for a day. Before he could make a definite decision, he heard knocking at his door.

"Come in," he called out to the door.

Flynn entered the room, closing the door behind him. From the look on his father's face, Austin could tell that he wanted to talk seriously. Flynn took a seat on the steps next to him and was obviously thinking of what exactly to say.

"When there's _Cloyster Cuisine_ downstairs and you're not there, I know something's wrong…" he said.

"C'mon, Dad, there's no way anyone could have been prepared for what happened today," Austin replied. "So…you really think this guy is for real about being related to us?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Flynn said. "But even if he weren't, I'd like to think that a good person would do all that they could to help. Don't you think so?"

"I guess you're right," Austin told him. "If it was you, I'd want all the help I could get. If you're serious about helping this guy, then I'll stand by your decision."

"I don't want you to think that I'm here to shift any blame away from myself," Flynn continued. "My actions caused this and it's my responsibility to own up to it. You are my number one priority though. I'm not going to go any further if it's going to affect you negatively. Are you okay with all of this?"

This was his chance to have everything return to normal. The only thing he had to do was tell his father not to go forward with this and this day would have just been a bad dream. Only one thing would change and it was the sole reason why Austin could not say no. He would never be able to look his father in the eye again. Worse than that, he would never be able to look at himself again in the mirror. Closing his eyes, he stood up and gave his father a nod.

"Like I said, I'll stand by you. I don't know what I can do to help you two solve this crime, but I'll support however I can."

Flynn rose to his feet and put an arm on his son's shoulder. Ninetales followed suit and nuzzled against his leg.

"I'm proud of you, Austin," Flynn declared, smiling at him. "Now, let's go eat and-"

"Actually, Dad…" Austin interrupted him, suddenly remembering his first phone call. "Can I take my food to go? I…uh, I've kind of been promising Mom that I'll stay at her place for a night and with all that's happened today, I think now is the best time to take her up on that offer. Will you keep an eye on Ninetales for me?"

"Of course," Flynn said, slightly surprised. "I think that spending some time with your mother will help you two learn to get along. I'll call you in the morning."

Austin hurried out of the room before his father could say anything else. Rushing down the stairs and into the kitchen, he made sure to grab enough food for himself and then added more to the plate in case Cami was hungry when he got to her house.

"Just gotta find my keys and…"

He stopped himself short when he noticed Jeremy staring at him from the other end of the table. Austin thought about saying something to the other boy, but all he could manage was a haughty smirk before turning away and heading towards the front door. Once Austin got in his car, his phone beeped and he checked the text message, assuming it was Cami. Instead it was a long list of swears, threats, insults, and general trolling from Kali. He sighed and put the phone down.

"Well, at least that's one thing that won't change…" he told himself before pulling out of the driveway.

* * *

 **A/N: Finally got the time to update. This time we got to see things from the perspective of both of the main characters, particularly Austin. Things are definitely going to change, so I think that was an appropriate title for this chapter.**

 **OC's will start appearing next chapter, though some were mentioned during this one.**

 **The P.O.V. characters for this chapter were Austin Bradsher and Jeremy Crandall**

 **As always, feel free to come to the forums and chat about this story or anything else that you'd like. I'll try to update sooner, but the main _Through the Years_ story is due for an update first. **

**Until next time!**


End file.
